Readout of telephone call between the Secretary-General and Syrian President Assad

The Secretary-General called H.E. Mr Bashar al Assad , the President of Syria this morning, 25 March. They discussed the situation in Syria. The Secretary-General pointed out that people throughout the region had been expressing their democratic aspirations through peaceful means. Referring to his statement of concern yesterday following reports of the killing of demonstrators in Syria in recent days, the Secretary- General, underlined that Governments had an obligation to respect and protect their citizens fundamental rights. He urged maximum restraint by the authorities and expressed his hope in a meaningful response to the expression of legitimate concerns.